Hair Ideas: The 5 Best New Year's Hair Styles

There are plenty of stressful things about New Year's Eve: finding the right venue for your party, finding a date you actually want to kiss, finding a taxi home. The perfect hairstyle shouldn't be on that list. Stick with one of these five, easy looks, and you can be sure you'll start 2012 off right.

A glossy, sleek ponytail. "Sleek hair is trendy this season, and it's perfect for the holiday because it looks done," says hairstylist Kerrie Urban. And it couldn't be easier to do. After flat ironing your hair, mist a generous amount of shine spray (try Bumble and Bumble Shine On (And On ...) Finishing Spray) onto your palms, and then use them to smooth your hair back into a high ponytail that sits just above the crown. "That draws the hairline up, and the cheekbones along with it, so it's great for rounder faces," says Urban. "But make sure to wrap a piece of hair around the elastic for a polished look." She likes the style with a side part or slicked straight back.

Bouncy waves."Brushing out big waves gives you a glamorous Veronica Lake look," says Urban. Set your hair in large hot rollers (at least an inch wide), and then brush them out for a sexy, billowy look. "Spray the hairbrush with a light hold hairspray first to prevent static," she adds.

__A playful topknot.__A typical bun is too staid for a New Year's party, but a messy top knot is just right. Tie a ponytail on the top of your head, twist it into a bun and secure with bobby pins. To create a roughed-up texture, hairstylist Mark Townsend mists the bun with a texturizing spray such as Sally Hershberger Genius Spray Wax, and then scrunches it between his fingers.

A messy chignon. "These seem intimidating, but they can actually be pretty uncomplicated," says Urban. Tie a ponytail just above the nape, divide it into three sections, and roll each one up toward the base of the ponytail, securing it against the scalp with a bobby pin. Mist with medium-hold hairspray. "It may come loose throughout the night, but that's fine," says Urban. "If you want an even messier look, divide the ponytail into more sections."